2024 Dongguk University General Student Election Hearing – Day1
The 2024 Dongguk University General Student Election Hearing took place over three days from November 19-21, 2024. For the first day, the hearing ran from 6:00 p.m. to 9:10 p.m., and each candidate was given 30 minutes of questioning time. Due to time constraints, there was a three-minute time limit per question, and the order of questions was as follows: general questions from the Election Commission, questions from school media, and questions from the public. The regular election hearings were live-streamed on the school's broadcasting station, DUBS.
Below is the and the questions asked by The Dongguk Post reporters and the following responses replied by the representatives for each unit, representatively.
Dongguk University College of Applied Convergency Representative Council Candidate
General Questions
Q1. What is your election platform?
- We aim to be the Representative Council that is transparent, safe, and secure. (Excerpted from the Future Convergence University Representative Council Policy Manual)
Questions from The Dongguk Post
Q1. Regarding your election management pledge, you mentioned that you will utilize social media to allow freely submitted appeals. We ask if you plan to inform students about the fact-checking process if an appeal is submitted.
- Formal complaints will be handled according to the bylaws, while informal complaints will be accepted on social media. If the facts are confirmed, it will be announced just like a formal complaint. However, there is no specific response to the informal complaint yet, so we plan to provide a response later.
Q2. Regarding the audit pledge, we would like to know what the specific process is for improving the system regarding access to the audit meeting minutes.
- We will make it more accessible to students. We will be posting them online via Instagram, KakaoTalk, as well as offline in the student center. We will also make the system searchable and share it accordingly as meetings are held, and we will organize and share additional files if there are additional meetings.
Dongguk University College of Applied Convergency Student Council Candidates
General Questions
2. What is your election platform?
- We will create a university that grows together based on strengthening the bonds of classmates. The College of Applied Convergency will be a welcoming place where various majors exist and people from diverse backgrounds can connect and grow together.
3. What are your main pledges?
- We will pursue intellectual growth by sharing expertise in each field, publish campus guides for students who are not familiar with the school, and create a better student society by creating a larger communication space for the college to speak with one voice.
Questions from The Dongguk Post
Q1. Regarding the event pledge, you have pledged to organize a yearly event with a unique theme, and we would like to know if you have any specific examples of this planned.
- In line with the name of our department, Applied Convergency, we plan to have futuristic concepts. For example, we may have quests within the metaverse with themes such as cyborgs, AI, etc. We are working on new ideas and will reflect the opinions of our students as well.
Q2. Regarding your commitment to offering preferred major courses, you mentioned that you plan to conduct a demand survey on major courses so that it can be reflected in the course schedule. As there are currently problems in large departments that preferred major courses are not offered according to demand, we would like to ask whether you think it is possible to promote this at the student council level and whether you have specific plans.
- It is necessary to investigate the actual educational needs of students, what courses within the curriculum majors are necessary and beneficial, and whether the current curriculum meets these needs. Accordingly, we will conduct a demand survey related to majors and needs, and monitor the results of the demand survey in consultation with professors. In terms of reflecting the needs and demands of curriculum learners, there will be a budgetary burden if we open more courses. However, in the case of Dongguk University College of Applied Convergency, there are many courses that are operated by hiring part-time lecturers, so it is possible to abolish current courses and create other courses, which will not cause any budgetary burden.
Q2-1. Have there been any discussions with the office of the college about the budget?
- There have been no discussions yet with the office, However I think it is something we can discuss and will coordinate if elected.
Q2-2. What are your thoughts on the possible complaints about existing courses disappearing?
- We will survey the satisfaction level during the demand survey and replace it. We expect that there will be fewer complaints as the existing courses with low satisfaction will be discontinued.
Q3. Regarding your pledge to improve sanitation, we would like to know what sanitation issues you have identified and how you would improve them.
- Currently, the management of garbage on campus is poor. As the student council, we will take the initiative to clean the student union space regularly and clean the spaces used by the students of the College of Applied Convergency. We believe that such initiatives can lead to improved awareness, and we will complement and reflect the problems that arise on a regular basis rather than a one-time problem.
Q3-1. Are there any specific plans besides cleaning the student union room?
- Both students and outsiders are responsible for trash on campus. Therefore, providing the overall solution is difficult. However, we plan to improve the space used at least by the students of the College of Applied Convergency first, and gradually make several improvements.
Q4. Regarding the campus guide content, we are aware that there are already official Dongguk University videos and shorts on YouTube, so what would be the difference?
- We think that the existing YouTube is not accessible, so we will organize the directions and make it like a map rather than a video, and post it on the Student Council Instagram.
Dongguk University College of Engineering Student Council Candidates
General Questions
1. What is your election platform?
- There are three main ones. We will strive for a college that is enjoyable by organizing various participatory events, a college that is open through social media, and a college that provides a lot of support to its students.
2. What are your main pledges?
- The three main commitments are sports and E-sports competitions for engineering students, academic idea contests and competitions, and the development of communication platforms.
Questions from The Dongguk Post
Q1. Regarding the lottery pledge, you have made an interesting pledge to run a “lottery” and we would like to hear more about how this will work and the purpose/intent behind it.
- As engineering students, we have a heavy workload, and we organized this as a way to motivate us to study and relieve stress. We will accept applications from students with GPA 3.5 and above after the grades are posted, and we will distribute the lottery tickets according to the number of A+ students have received and draw them online.
Q1-1. Even within an engineering class, students take different courses and have different levels of difficulty. Would it be possible to fairly draw and select students?
- I think it can be a fair selection. Since the project is centered on academic motivation, the planned standard of 3.5 is B+, which includes the top 40% of students. Therefore, I do not think there will be any fairness issues for students.
Q2. Regarding your pledge to provide study space, we would like to ask for your thoughts on how you plan to secure study space in Wonheung Hall/New Engineering Hall, and how providing additional study space will make a difference given that the Law Building Library is already open 24/7.
- Given the large number of engineering students, we started with the idea that it would be nice to have a space for engineering students. There are surplus facilities in Wonheung Hall and New Engineering Hall, and we plan to operate them, contacting the Office if it is possible to open them at night during the exam seasons. In addition, we plan to extend the hours of Ispace because there are opinions that it closes a little early during exams. All of this management will be done at the student council level.
Q2-1. In the case of the Wonheung Building/New Engineering Building, the opening of the building may be limited due to the presence of expensive equipment and laboratories. Also, since the members of the student council are also students, they have to study during the exam period, so would not it be burdensome to manage?
- There is a lot of surplus classroom space without expensive equipment and labs, and I do not think it would be a problem since it is only open during exams. Also, the term “managed” means that the facilities are not regularly used dirty or vandalized. I think it is a good idea to think of it like a rental system that schools offer. I do not think there would be a need for a security system, and I think the only issues that would need to be addressed would be lights out and cleanup.
Q2-2. During the exam period the first floor of the law building library is open for 24 hours, and the second floor was also open for 24 hours during the previous midterms week. Why do you think providing mores study spaces are necessary?
- We know that there are not many seats available in the law building. While many students use it, there are many who feel uncomfortable with the stale air. The nighttime opening of Wonheung Hall's Ispace has been discussed before, and if we rent out a lecture hall, we will designate a specific lecture hall and announce it on social media in advance to keep the lecture hall open to students for a specified time.
Q3. We would like to ask you about the operation of the TF team for each project. Currently, you are planning to hold many projects, such as the pledge award, engineering students' night, athletic competition, and speech competition. If you plan to operate a TF team for all projects, how will you operate it if the preparation period for the event overlaps, or if you plan to select projects and operate a TF team, what standards will be used to operate the TF?
- I would like to use the example of the Engineering School Champions League as an example. The eight departments of the Engineering School hold a football tournament, and for such an event, it is impossible to operate if you do not have a good understanding of football. Therefore, I think that if students who have a good understanding of business participate in the TF team, the business participation will go smoothly. Also, I think that it is possible to reduce the burden on the student council, and we do not plan to operate it for all events.
Q3-1. As the number of teams grows and the number of members becomes more diverse, communication may become more difficult and inconvenient, has this been taken into account?
- We are fully aware of this. We think it will be possible to communicate if the reporting process is clear, and we will thoroughly audit each department within the monitoring group.
Dongguk University College of Buddhist Studies Student Council Candidates
General Questions
1. What is your election platform?
- We aim for unity and newness. Unity of the Departments of the College of Buddhist Studies, and new initiatives that are distinctive while maintaining long-standing traditions. We will also strive to make Buddhism accessible.
2. What are your main pledges?
- Newness, unity, and uniqueness are the main promises. In terms of newness, we will distribute a freshman guidebook to provide general information about the school, such as how to apply for courses and graduation requirements, online and offline; and in terms of unity, we will activate academic conferences and group activities of departments and clubs within the College of Buddhist Studies.
Questions from The Dongguk Post
Q1. Regarding the overnight kit pledge, this is a campaign that many colleges and universities have implemented, and I would like to know if there is anything different about the campaign that the candidates for the College of Buddhist Studies wants to implement.
- Since this is not a project that has been done before in the College of Buddhist Studies, I will refer to other departments' overnight kits. Unlike other departments, which make only one of the items available for pickup, we will distribute them in sets, even if the quantity is small. We will also conduct a survey on the preferences for overnight kits.
Q1-1. Since both the student guidebook and the overnight kits you have promised are new plans, we would like to ask whether budgeting has been considered.
- We do not have an exact estimate, but we have a rough idea. We have thought about all the events from January to December and planned a rough budget.
Q2. Regarding the study program, we would like to ask if there will be any support for students who participate in the program, such as classroom rental or budget allocation?
- We will open the student union room and help rent classrooms for study groups. We also plan to provide prizes for top study groups.
Q2-1. How will you manage the study program if there are fewer or more participants than expected?
- We will identify the reason for low participation and eliminate or change the date if there are few participants. Also, we will continue to run studies on a regular basis, and if participation is still low in the future, we will create an environment where it is possible to study with a small number of people.
Dongguk University College of Buddhist Studies Representative Council Candidates
General Questions
1. What is your election platform?
- Through communication, we will operate in accordance with the pledge, purpose, and bylaws for a better Buddhist University. It will contribute to creating a solid foundation and pass it on to the next generation of students. We will also endeavor to increase the interest of the student community so that Buddhist University students can go to more fields.
2. What are your main pledges?
- We will make elections, an essential and important part of building a student organization at Buddhist University, more stable. This will be done through clear procedures and bylaws, and we will strive to ensure that elections are fair. We will also revise the bylaws, which have not been updated recently. Lastly, we will increase the interest in the Senate by continuously exposing it through chat rooms and Instagram, as many students are not aware of its existence.
Questions from The Dongguk Post
Q1. About the Instagram pledge, since you have promised to utilize Instagram as a way to increase interest, do you have any suggestions for students who do not follow your Instagram account, or how to promote the account itself?
- Many of our students use Instagram these days, so we will continue to post updates on Instagram. However, the KakaoTalk group chat will be used primarily, and the same content will be posted as on Instagram. We will try not to neglect any students in this process. Also, for freshmen, we plan to target them by promoting our Instagram account during various events.
Q2. Regarding your commitment to revising the Bylaws, we would like to know if you are willing to gather and accept the opinions of the College of Buddhist Studies students when revising the Bylaws.
- We are willing to collect opinions from the students. However, since the delegates are the representatives of each grade, we will prioritize accepting the opinions of the delegates. For other areas, we will establish a new channel for communication, and although it will be difficult to hear all students' opinions, we will try to accommodate them as much as possible.
Kim Bo-young, Editor-in-Chief
2022110225@dgu.ac.kr
Jeon Han-gyeol, Post Reporter
hangyal9820@dgu.ac.kr
Lee Jae-won, Post Reporter
jaewon010203@dgu.ac.kr